July 31, 2009
Mindy Smith at the World Cafe Live

Singer-songwriter Mindy Smith's 2004 debut, One Moment More, sold more than 280,000 copies and included the hit "Come to Jesus." Smith also covered "Jolene" on a Dolly Parton tribute album in '03. A native New Yorker, Smith now resides in Nashville.

Smith's latest album, Stupid Love, is due out on August 11. Smith's music brings the best elements of folk, country, and rock together. Her music is emotionally raw, unabashedly covering the spectrum of emotions, often over the course of a song.

July 17, 2009
Elizabeth and the Catapult at the World Cafe Live

Elizabeth and the Catapult is trio with the heart of a child and the wisdom of a seasoned pro.

Known for their jazz-tinged brand of indie pop, Elizabeth and the Catapult slowly gained success in the Big Apple, recording their self-titled EP there. On their new full-length release, Taller Children, the trio's chamber pop melodies groove and sway under the effortless power of Ziman's sassy vocals.

Elizabeth and the Catapult successfully find their way through the best of pop, jazz, and rock, combining it in a fresh and exciting way.

July 10, 2009Illinois at the World Cafe Live

This Friday, Philly's own Illinois is coming to tear up the XPN/NPR Music Free at Noon stage. Since their debut in 2006, Philly's own Illinois has become reknown for pulling out a blend of genres to fit their Southern-tinged blues rock. Whether they're throwing out some foot-tapping blues or some melancholic, electronic harmonies, Illinois really vibe with crowds - giving and receiving the best from their audiences.

This five-piece is comprised of front man Chris Archibald (vocals, guitar, keyboards, banjo), Martin Hoeger (bass), John-Paul Kuyper (drums), Daniel Pawlovich (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals), and Chris Shepherd (guitar, vocals). The band's chemistry is air-tight, probably because all five have been solid friends since childhood. Garnering comparisons to influences as varied as Wilco, the White Stripes, and Arcade Fire, Illinois has opened for The Kooks and the Train Wreck Riders, and have quite a following, especially after their electric performance at the 2009 SXSW Festival.

With plenty of miles, gigs, and ideas under their belt, Illinois decided to put their hundreds of unreleased songs to good use.
According to Archibald, "Collectively we came up with this idea to keep it in people's face. Month after month after month we'll just keep
releasing something new." So Illinois undertook a labor-intensive task that most bands would shy away from: they decided to release a new EP for six straight months. Naming the series The Adventures of Kid Catastrophe, the band began to issue the EPs in November 2008. The resulting collection has a kind of mix-tape vibe to it, yet all of the songs and styles fit seamlessly together. Songs range from the electro-beats of the first release to the sad guitar strains of the third release to the energetic, old-timey rock of the final release. The band packaged all six together in a deluxe edition album released in May.

July 3, 2009Chairlift at the World Cafe Live

This week, Free at Noon brings a retro vibe to Philadelphia, as
the electronic indie trio Chairlift comes to town. Hailing from Colorado, Caroline Polachek, Aaron Pfenning, and Patrick
Wimberly formed the band in 2005 with the intention of creating music
for haunted houses. Chairlift earned early success by performing
around the University of Colorado, bringing a semi-serious brand of
New Wave-style dance punk to local audiences. Their act caught on, and
the band recorded the EP Daylight Savings in 2007.

Realizing their potential, Chairlift changed plans and moved to
Brooklyn, performing with other indie up-and-comers like MGMT and
Yeasayer. The group signed with Kanine Records in 2007, releasing
their album Does You Inspire You? a year later.
Chairlift found widespread acclaim that same year when its song
"Bruises" was featured in one of Apple's tastemaking iPod commercials.
The ad brought instant attention. They were mentioned by everyone from
the New York Times to Perez Hilton.

Does You Inspire You? features hauntingly danceable melodies coupled
with Polachek's airy vocals. Tracks like "Earwig Town" demonstrate the
band's ability to switch genres, while the aforementioned "Bruises"
displays the band's playful side. Chairlift pays homage to its
predecessors without sound tired, pulling off a retro feel with a
uniqueness and sincerity that makes this a hard group to resist.

Bring your dancing shoes and legwarmers. This Friday's Free at Noon
promises to be an old-school party.

June 26, 2009Diane Birch at the World Cafe Live

Singer-songwriter Diane Birch has all the trademarks of a seasoned
veteran. On her first album, Bible Belt, Birch showcases her
songwriting maturity, perspective, and sheer talent. Skillfully
blending soul, rock and pop, she is getting rave reviews and has a
growing number of fans worldwide.

Birch moved to Los Angeles with hopes of becoming a film composer. She
learned piano and became a musician for hire, playing with musicians
such as Prince. She began taking voice lessons and writing her own
material. Birch was then contacted by a manager in England - who
discovered her on MySpace - and helped her earn a record deal.

Bible Belt arrived in June to positive reviews by critics and fans
alike. The album blends soulful melodies with the best elements of
classic rock, jazz, and blues. Her vocal and musical style has been
favorably compared to Norah Jones and Amy Winehouse.

June 19, 2009Elvis Perkins at the World Cafe Live

Elvis Perkins is a soulful singer-songwriter who crafts brooding, thoughtful melodies with a sophisticated pop sensibility. His catchy and timeless songs have garnered comparisons to Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. Raised in Los Angeles and New York, he started playing classical guitar and rock, but he later found his niche in folk. Perkins expanded his repertoire of instruments, incorporating a mix of piano, harmonica and auto-harp and adding several unique timbres to his sound.

Having lost both his parents to tragedy, Perkins's reflective music often borders on heartbreaking, yet remains hopeful and quietly charming. Aided by a trio of friends, Perkins coped with such tragedies on his debut album Ash Wednesday, which was hailed for expertly juxtaposing melancholy and optimistic merriment. Joined by the same trio, Elvis Perkins in Dearland continues to bare all emotions on their eponymous album, with a resemblance to Ash Wednesday. Full of spirit and wisdom, Perkins invites us to reflect on those lost in life and war through delicately strummed guitars, sensitive vocals and ocasionally the frivolity of bombastic New Orleans-inspired brass.

Join XPN in welcoming this Elvis Perkins and his jazzy, emotive band for Friday, June 19th's Free at Noon.

June 12, 2009Meat Puppets at the World Cafe Live

This Friday's Free At Noon rock out to underground legends
the Meat Puppets. Progenitors of American indie rock, the
Meat Puppets were formed in 1980 by guitarist brothers Curt and Cris
Kirkwood with drummer Derrick Bostrom. Brandishing a hard, fast, and
refreshingly sloppy edge, the trio grabbed attention early on from the
emerging (pre-internet) network of underground music fans, zinesters,
and SST Records. Signed by SST, their 1982 eponymous debut carved a
loud, furious niche in hardcore history. Their second release, Meat
Puppets II, was an unheard of fusion of acid country and straight-
ahead rock but with an intact punk core. The American underground
music scene would never be the same.

With releases such as the smoothed-out Mirage and the heavy
Huevos, Meat Puppets built their reputation as experimentalists. The
trio's fan base grew to include Kurt Cobain. Their vault to the majors
was bolstered by Cobain's invitation to perform a few of the Puppets'
songs together in New York. The band acquired short-lived mainstream
success and broke up soon after.

In 2006, with diehard fans' enthusiasm, the original line-up
reassembled and released a new album, Rise to Your Knees. With the
addition of a new drummer, the excellent Ted Marcus, the Meat Puppets are as loud
and fast as ever. Their latest, Sewn Together, is tight and does not disappoint. Released in
May, Sewn Together is true to the Meat Puppets' legacy - ensuring a
undeniably great Free At Noon.

June 5, 2009Soulive at the TLA.

Long admired for their rollicking jazz-funk fusion grooves and sweaty improv solos, Soulive originated in 90s New England - first as jam band rhythm sections (Moon Boot Lover, Greyboy Allstars, Lettuce), then a brief detour into hip-hop. By 1999, their emphasis shifted to more traditional organ-driven jazz and a core cemented around the trio of the spidery Grant Green-esque guitar lines of Eric Krasno with brothers Alan and Neal Evans leading the way on drums and organ/bass keys/clavinet, respectively. True to their funk forefathers, they have frequently fleshed out their earthy, organic sound with rich horn sections and energetic guest vocalists.

During their first summer as a band, Soulive independently produced Turn It Out, an auspicious debut that sold a respectable 65,000 copies. The response to Turn It Out scored spots on high profile national tours with the Stones, Maceo Parker, Dave Matthews, The Roots, and Common as well as on the festival circuit - Bonnaroo and Monterey Jazz. Utimately, Soulive inked a deal with Blue Note. During their Blue Note years, they amassed fervent devotees through collaborations with legendary James Brown trombonist Fred Wesley, guest vocalists Dave Matthews and Amel Larrieux, rappers Talib Kweli and Black Thought, and remixes with Jurassic 5, DJ Spinna, DJ Krush and the Beatnuts. Departing Blue Note in 2005 for Concord Records and Stax, Soulive crafted new jams with a who's who of jazz, funk and rock - Chaka Khan, Ivan Neville, Corey Glover and Robert Randolph - and experimented with less free-form, more beat-driven songs.

Soulive have returned to form with their latest album Up Here, due out in July. Wowing crowds with meaty instrumentals and a stellar horn section, Soulive will hit the World Cafe Live for XPN's Free at Noon/NPR Live Friday on June 5. Get ready to dance!

Live Concert Broadcast and Webcast Fridays At Noon

May 28, 2009
Double Header! Derek Trucks Band and Guy Sebastian featuring Steve Cropper at World Cafe Live

XPN Free at Noon at World Cafe Live.
A co-production of WXPN and NPR Music.

The Derek Trucks Band, or DTB, is an eclectic collection of self-proclaimed jammers, each highly successful in his own right. Headed by Derek Trucks on guitar, the sextet includes Kofi Burbridge (keyboards, flute, and vocals), Todd Smallie (bass and vocals), Yonrico Scott (drums, percussion, and vocals), Mike Mattison (lead vocals), and Count M'Butu (percussion). They have released seven acclaimed albums since 1997, touring with other musicians such as Trucks' wife, Susan Tedeschi.

Derek Trucks is a Grammy-nominated guitar prodigy. His first instrument came from a garage sale for $5 when he was nine, and within a year he was on stage performing. He was the youngest guitarist to make it onto Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. He formed the DTB when he was 15, and has been perfecting their diverse and improvisational sound ever since.

The DTB's influences range from blues, soul, jazz, rock, Indian music, Latin music, and other international sounds. Their latest album, Already Free, is no exception.
Featuring an emotive cover of Bob Dylan's "Down in the Flood", this collection of twelve songs is warm, soulful, and relaxed.

The DTB is currently touring across the continent with stops in Toronto, Washington D.C., and Florida. They play The Keswick on Friday night, May 29 at 8pm.

Promising to be a Free At Noon not to miss, this show will bring together two musical greats, the incredible voice of "Australian Idol" Guy Sebastian and the legendary Stax axe man Steve Cropper. Their recent collaboration on Sebastian's platinum The Memphis Album has led to touring together, and the two are coming to World Cafe Live to kick up some soulful R&B.

Guy Sebastian is an Australian singer/songwriter with several top albums and singles under his belt since winning the country's first "Idol" contest in 2003. His joyous and individualistic style has won him over twenty music awards, and his U.S. debut is expected this summer.

Named one of the "Top 100 Guitarists of All Time" by Rolling Stone, Steve Cropper first picked up a guitar at age 14 and began playing with local musicians in his native Tennessee. Legendary for for his work with Booker T & the MGs, The Blues Brothers, and his songwriting, engineering and producing, he has been inducted into the American Hall of Fame four times (Rock and Roll, Rhythm & Blues, Songwriters and Musicians). Cropper has been credited with writing some of the most enduring soul music of all time.

Join us this Friday as they perform the music that critics
have called creative masterpieces.

Live Concert Broadcast and Webcast Fridays At Noon

May 22, 2009
Phil Roy at World Cafe Live

XPN Free at Noon at World Cafe Live.
A co-production of WXPN and NPR Music.

After years of writing music for other artists, movies, and TV shows (and good stuff at that - two of those movies garnered Academy Award nominations, and his lineup of artists include Ray Charles and Joe Cocker), Phil Roy knows music. He's been playing the guitar since he was nine, attended the prestigious Berklee College of Music at the age of 17, and headed to Los Angeles to front two bands during the '80s before he left the recording industry to begin exclusively songwriting.

But after years of penning for shows and other musicians, Roy decided to strike out on his own. He packed up his things, moved back to Philadelphia, and released his debut Grouchyfriendly. With their maturity and master musicianship, Roy's storied songs were soon on air and all over the web. Grouchyfriendly won an Independent Album of the Year award, and critics across the board were praising Roy's sincere, smooth style. Roy went back the studio, and since then he has released two more folksy soul albums - both highly acclaimed. The latest of the two, The Great Longing, is inventive and lush, and universal in its sentiments. Including vocalists Amos Lee ("Busy Thinking Bout Today"), Madeleine Peyroux ("Exceptionally Ordinary"), and rising Philly star Melody Gardot ("A Meditation..."), The Great Longing is deeply sincere and breathtaking. As said by Tom Waits, "This is Phil Roy at his Phil noir best. Eccentric, lush and musical. An atmospheric wicked beauty. Uncommonly smooth, yet strange and curious."

Phil Roy will be at the World Cafe this coming Friday, playing from The Great Longing as well as some of his older work - a Free At Noon not to miss. And, he plays Burlap and Bean in Newtown Square, Friday night, May 15, and Appel Farm Music & Arts Center on Sunday, June 7.